I have made the Guacamole in the South of United States...because I like the difficult challenges!

To prepare the Guacamole, recipe hailing from Mexico but very diffused and appreciated in the whole South of USA, to Jacksonville Beach (Florida) for my American friends, it has been an hazard, an irresponsible choice made on the emotional wave of the desire to cook something that reentered in their alimentary habits, however without to consider that the parterre "judging" it had good knowledge of the dish. But here as it has gone...narrated in third person (better maintaining the anonymity and to take the distances, one never knows...hihhihhi).

That morning she woke up soon, well soon relatively to the time to which they had gone to bed. That morning was not an wichever morning, it was the 4^th of July, the Indipendence Day, the day of the Stars and Strips pride. The day in which, on the contrary than can be believed, the national identity becomes the pretext to turn everything into a great anarchic circus, where there are not rules and commandments with the exception of the respect for the others.

Ho fatto il Guacamole negli Stati Uniti del Sud...perchè mi piacciono le sfide difficili!

Preparare il Guacamole, ricetta originaria del Messico ma molto diffusa e apprezzata in tutto il Sud degli USA, a Jacksonville Beach (Florida) per i miei amici americani, è stato un azzardo, un'incosciente scelta fatta sull'onda emotiva del voler cucinare qualcosa che rientrasse nelle loro abitudini alimentari, senza però considerare che il parterre "giudicante" aveva buona conoscenza del piatto. Ma ecco com'è andata...narrato in terza persona (meglio mantenere l'anonimato e prendere le distanze, non si sa mai...hihhihhi).

Tomato sauce

In past times it was use and custom to prepare, with the home grown summer fruits, the preserves for the winter. The tomato, for example, was transformed in: "chiappe[1]"; peeled tomatos; "strattu" (tomato paste home-made) and naturally in sauce. It could not miss in the pantry a consistent stockpile of the tasty sauce of the juicy and red vegetable.

Today some willing housewife still prepares "a sarsa[2]". I am among these, so much that many my friends believe I am nut.

Well, perhaps I also will be also so a little, but the taste of this sauce is hardly comparable to that of the commercial tomato purée.

The recipe that I write you I have learned from the mother of my mother, the Nonna Nella[3] - which called Francesca Margherita in truth, but in the large families is accustomed to give some nicknames to differentiate the cousins, that often had the same name of baptism - polished woman, delicate drawer and great cook.

Not you must necessarily cook a lot quantity of it to make preserve. You can do few quantity of it and serve it with the spaghetti or with the shape of pasta that more you like, even adding fried dices eggplants, basil and the salt-cured ricotta cheese. So you will realize one of the first more famous Sicilian dishes, a real artwork: the "Pasta alla Norma"[4].

With the ingredients indicated in the recipe you will realize around two bottles of 800 ml each one.

Lukewarm salad of fava beans

It is time of fava beans still!

Passionate and "wedded" - over that to the Santuzza[1] - to a kitchen that uses products of the territory and seasonal, today I propose you a recipe of the tradition of the Sicilian popular cuisine. A very simple preparation, of country origin, that however it exalts the good taste of the green legume above all if it accompanied with some good oil of olive.

Before passing to the recipe, I reiterate the only my true recommendation: use fresh products and of first quality, always!

The Panelle

Today it does so much "cool" to go around for the world to try the street food, natural father of the most modern fast-food. Needless to say you that in Sicily, where we are ahead always, we have been serving it for centuries: we have invented fast-food, practically. I know, you will be thinking that I am a flag-waving terrona[1], an extremist of the terrone’s thought. Well, a fund of truth there is perhaps, the certainty however it is in the fact that I madly love my earth and above all my city Palermo, an old stretched out lady between a mountain (Monte Pellegrino[2]) and the sea, noble, indolent, magnificent despite the marked signs of the time, that it still emanates a strong aura, memory of her shines of Liberty époque and of all of her ancient history.

Carciofi alla "Villanella" - Artichokes at the "villanella" (farmer mode)

Ogni famiglia siciliana e palermitana ha la sua ricetta. Io l'ho imparata da mia nonna Nella, madre di mia madre, la quale, dopo averli nettati delle foglie più dure e delle punte, li faceva spaccati a metà e messi in un sol strato in una padella, conditi con aglio a pezzetti, prezzemolo, sale, pepe e abbondante olio extravergine d'oliva e circa mezzo bicchiere d'acqua. Io ho apportato una piccola variante: spolverata di pangrattato tostato ("muddica atturrata" in Siciliano) e li lascio cuocere coperti per circa 20 minuti, o fin quando non risultano morbidi infilzandoli con una forchetta, senza mescolare.

In Palermitano, il carciofo diventa femmina: "a cacuocciula". L'"abitudine" linguistica di declinare alcune parole al femminile è un'eredità lasciataci anche in questo caso dalla dominazione araba. In Arabo, infatti, si dice "Al Kharsuf".

Artichokes[1] to the "Villanella[2]" (farmer mode)

Every sicilian and palermitan family have their own recipe. Well, I have learned it from my grandmother Nella, my mother's mom, which, after to have eliminated the harder external leaves and the extremity, did them broken to half and envoys in a only layer in a frying pan, seasoned with bits garlic, parsley and abundant extravergine olive's oil and a half glass of water. I have brought a small variation: dusting of bread crumb toasted ("muddica atturrata" in Sicilian language) and I let them to cook covered about 20 minutes, or until when they don't result soft pierced them with a fork, without mixing.

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[1] “A cacuocciula” in Palermitan language. Many of the palermitans’ words are inflected to female. This linguistic "habit" drift from the Arab language. For example, "a cacuocciula" derives from "Al kharshuf."

[2] U viddanu (villano, in Italian), he who worked the earth and he generally lived in small villages. It was a simple person and without culture. In the common language the word has become synonymous of "boor".

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[1] U viddanu (villano, in Italian), he who worked the earth and he generally lived in small villages. It was a simple person and without culture. In the common language the word has become synonymous of "boor".

Caponata of Artichockes

"I Have some American guests to House 500g. what they would want a typical palermitan supper for Thursday 13 February. Are you free for that date?". "I don't remember, it waits for control the diary. Yes, ok, I’m free."

And so, in fibrillation and some embarrassed, position of food and wine I have presented that day to the family Grunewald. There were all the generations: the founder, their sons, a nephew and an aunt. Relaxed, who on the couch, who around in the room, they have welcomed me with joviality and funny smiles.

I have started throw out the provisions from the packages: Sardinians' meatballs, panelle, caponata of artichokes, salad of fennels and oranges with vinaigrette to honey and mustard, ragout to the Sicilian way - that with the touches of meat and sausage, to intend us - to serve with the fresh noodles done by me, parfait of almonds.

While I was being busy to organize me in the kitchen, I have realized that the guests had some hunger and I have asked: "formal or informal supper?". They unanimously answered me in almost choral way: "Informal."

Loosened the ice (very it also loosened in the glasses) and, that evening, a started as unexpected as extraordinary friendship with the "marvelous Grunewald".

To that point I have started to serve the appetizers and to chat with them.

I must confess that convict was the caponata of artichokes and therefore, wishing me that can have the same benefits effects for the one who prepares and offers it, here is the recipe.

Asparagus to the vapor with omelet maltreated with curcuma

In odor of Spring and desire to reenter in my beautiful jeans that don't enter anymore, I have thought a healthy, fast and very tasty recipe. The spicy note and the color of the curcuma will enrich this dish with an unusual exotic feature.

As usual, my recommendation is that to use fresh ingredients and of which can possibly verify the origin of it.

Says this, footstep immediately to write you the recipe.

Bavette (pasta) with arugola pesto sauce

Arugula - Eruca sativa - or rocket is an herb fresh spicy taste that depopulated in the dishes of Italian restaurants and pizzerias since the fateful Eighties. This is so as to be inflated, and frankly, when the waiter shows me the dish chosen concluding with the famous words "on a bed of arugula," I take a sort of cold shiver and I feel my taste in solidarity with my neurons irritated.

The rocket, in truth, it tastes good and is very agreeable in salads or enjoyed some of the natural deep in a simple vinaigrette or, as I have been able to do thanks to my friend Matthew Grunewald, in an exquisite Japanese sesame sauce. But it is also great cooked, boiled and sauté with garlic, oil and chilli or reduced in pesto order to flavor a good plate of pasta.

And then, when my dear friend Angela, called me saying "I've got some fresh arugula from the garden of my brother and I have you prepared a bag. Do you want it? "My neurons were excited rather than nervous and they made me respond in the only way permitted" Of course, I want it". And it was so much that I and my friends could taste in all possible ways.

And now the recipe for pesto, simple, quick and tasty .

News for foreigners - Novità "forestiere"

Here is a new one. For today I will write the recipe, or better yet, I will try to write in English because I also have not-Italian readers, who have reproached me because I only write in Italian. Among them are friends who, I am sure, will correct my possible, maybe even probable number of errors.

To begin: start with the recipe for arugula pesto, but slowly I will try to translate the other.

I wish all a good read, accompanied by a little “patience”, I'm hoping not you won't make mistakes too.

A very special thanks goes to Gray, my "perfectable" sunshine from Georgia (USA)

C’è una novità. Da stasera le ricette le scriverò, o meglio tenterò di scriverle, anche in inglese visto che ho anche dei lettori non italiani, che mi hanno rimproverato perché scrivo solo nella mia lingua. Tra di loro ci sono anche degli amici che, sono certa, mi correggeranno nei miei possibili, molteplici errori.

Inizio con la ricetta del pesto di rucola, ma piano piano proverò a tradurre anche le altre.

Auguro a tutti una buona lettura, accompagnata da un po’ di pazienza, sperando di non sbagliare troppo.